Locking washer and sanitary flange gasket for basin cocks



Oct. 6, 1925.

P. MUELLER LOCKING WASHER AND SANITARY FLANGE GASKET FOR BASIN COCKSFiled NOV. 25, 1921 MY J J Patented Oct. 6, 1925.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP HUELLEB, 0l' DECATUB, ILLINOIS, ABSIGIOB TD ADOLPH Im TRUST,

l 0l' DECATUB, ILLINOIS.

Locxnza wasnmi am) sm'ruv nuten esem ron usm com.

Application tiled November 83, 1081. Serial lo. 517,890.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, P mLrP MUEILER, a citizen of the United States,resid' at Decatur, in the county of Macon and tate of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Locking Washers and SanitaryFlange Gaskets for Basin Cocks, of which the following isaxspecification.

The present invention relates to locking devices for fixtures,particularly water ixtures, and has for its object to provide sanitarylocking instrumentalities for fixing a water or equivalent fixture to asuitable sup port or slab, such devices being of a character that willpermit their adaptation to the fixture supports or slabs of varioustypes using standard fittings or fixtures and the necessity of providingspecial securing means for'diiferent installations is avoided.

In the present disclosurethe invention will be shown in connection witha water fixture, namely, a standard faucet, but it will be understoodthat it may be adapted to fixtures and installations other than the.specific type here shown, the disclosure bein merely illustrative.y

ferring to the drawings herewith Fig. 1 is a view in elevation, partsbeing in section to illustrate the invention, of a conventional orstandard faucet2 Fig. 2 is a plan view of a locking washer, Fig. 3 is asectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a locking washer, Fig. 5 is a plan view of a.sanitary locking washer which may be used in combination `with thewashers shown in Figs. 2 to 4,

several views, 10 indicates, conventionally, a'

fixture, the particular fixture here Shown being a faucet.

A support 11 for the fixture is conventionally shown, the support in thepresent instance being a horizontal panel or basin slab having anaperture 12 therethrough to receive the shank of the faucet. Thesesupports or slabs 11 are made in different styles, vand vary inthickness, so that it is essential that fastening means for the fixture10 be provided which can 'be adapted to the various styles andthicknesses of slabs or supports, and, furthermore, when formed ofvitreous or enameled iron ware, such slabs 11 present uneven seatingsurfaces about the shank aperture formed therein, so that provision mustbe made to compensate for such uneven surfaces and secure a stable andaccurate seating of the fixture or valve on the support.

The fixture 10 is provided with the usual ,faucet flange upon thesupport or slab 11.

The gasket 16 will be of such material and dimensions as that it willyield to accommodate the fixture 10 and bring it to a firm level seat,said gasket, when tightly compressed, in the installation of a fixture',eifectually sealing the joint between the support or slab 11 and theiiange of the fixture so that leakage under and about the faucet fiangeand through the aperture 12 cannot occur. Preferably, the gasket 16 willbe of a size co-extensive with the area 'of the flange of the faucet,and as the peripheral edge of the gasket will, under pressure, besomewhat extruded beyond the edge of the iange, as indicated in dottedlines at 19 in Fig. 1, such extruded portion may be readily out close tothe edge of the flange and give a smooth and attractive joint betweenthe sup ort 11 and the iiange of the faucet 10.

ot only does this gasket 16 give a ti ht joint and a level seating forthe fixture, ut when the parts are drawn snu ly together, as willhereinafter appear the ictional engagement of the parts due to thegasket will materially aid in holding the fixture in 105 its setposition and guard against its accidental angular displacement on its suport. It is, of course, essential that the .ure 10, thus mounted, belocked against vertical,

horizontal or angular movement, the aperno j ture is locked, would bepossible.

-tures 1'2 in these slabs being usually considerably larger than thefaucet shank so that these several movements, unless the fix- Iaccomplish the lookin of the fixture by means of the washer 1 showninFigs. 2 and Ik3', in conjunction with the usual lock nut 1 5heretofore referred to. The washer 17 1s formed of thin sheet metal,preferably a resilient metal, such as steel, so that 1t will yield understress of the nut 15 as that` nut is set up on the threaded shank 13. Inorder to secure the proper locking en agement between the parts thewasher 17 w1ll be formed with a plurality of fprojections 18, preferablyradlally dispose as shown, and formed by stamping up the thin metal ofwhich the washer 17 is made so that the projections 18 radiate from thecentral aperture in the washer. The projections 18 here shown on theupper side of the washer will, when pressure is exerted by the nut l5,engage the lower surface of the support or slab 11 with sufficientfriction to lock the washer against movement under ordinary turningstrains applied to the fixture, or against stress tending to move thefixture horizontally on its support. Where the aperture 12 is ofconsiderable size, as, for example, of larger area than the nut 15, asshown in Fig. 1, the washer 17, which is resilient, will be centrallysprung or distorted, as conventionally indicated, giving a spring gripon the support 11 and the edge of the aperture 12.

By combining the thin resilient washer below the support or slab 11 andthe yielding iiange washer above the slab' I am enabled to get a veryclose assemblage of parts and a frictional grip above and below theslab, which will eftectually prevent any horizontal or angular shiftingof the fixture, and, furthermore, the installation is entirely clean andsanitary, as there can be no objectionable leakage or drip about thefaucet and down its shank to corrode the parts below the slab. Theconstruction does away with the necessity of making a plaster of Parisor puttied joint beneath the flange of the faucet, which has heretoforebeen resorted to overcome the leakage which is apt to occur beneath thefiange and over the uneven surface of the slab and to lock the fixtureagainst angular shifting. The gasket in the present construction belowthe flange of the xture 10 efi'ectually seals the v joint regardless ofthe surface of the slab and cooperates with the locking washer 17 tolock the fixture in position.

The gasket absolutely seals the opening in the slab and excludes allmoisture therefrom. It is greatly superior to plaster of Paris or putty,which shrinks when drying and leaves spaces through which both liquidand solid matter can gain entrance to the opening about the faucetshank.

Some manufacturers put out slabs or basin tops havin lugs, as 19, on.their lower surfaces whic are designed to engage certain of the lockinginstrumentalities now in use,

vand in order to accommodate such slabs the locking washer 17 may, asshown in Fig. 2, be provided with the notches 20 in its outer eriphery,which notches will straddle the ugs 19 kand permit the locking washer tolie fiat against the under surface of the slab. This expedient adaptsthe washer very conveniently to this form of basin top.

In certain types of faucets known in the art there has been providedvertically disposed ribs at the upper part of the shank, which ribs weredesigned to engage other necessary parts of the fixture, and in someinstances the apertures through the slabs weie so made as to closely fitthe 'faucet shank, and provided with radial recesses to receive suchlugs on the shank. In order that my washer may be adapted to this styleof shank it may be provided, as shown in Fig. 4, with radially disposedapertures 21 on its inner periphery which will straddle the shank lugsand permit the washer to be brought closely against the slab or basintop.

It will be understood that either orl both of these expedients to takecare of known types of slabs and faucets just described and illustratedin Figs. 2 and 4 may be adopted or omitted, if desired.

Instead of employing an ordinary lock nut 15 as shown in Fig. 1, a nut15a having an upper tapering portion, as shown in Fig. 6 may be used.This form of riut will act to centre the faucet shank and furnish aneven more secure connection thereof with the slab than is obtained byusing the ordinarynut illustrated in Fig. 1.

The yielding gasket need not be of such width as to extend continuouslyfrom the faucet shank to the periphery of the flange thereon; but, asshown in Figs. 7 and 8, may be simply a relative narrow ring 1b'ELhaving a portion seated in an annular groove formed in the lower surfaceof the flange on the faucet shank.

As shown in Fig. 8 thel outer peripheral edge of the gasket 16 isslightly beveled while the inner edge extends substantially verticallyto the faces thereof and the groove in the faucet fiange is ofcorresponding shape in cross section. There is a square abutment,therefore, between the inner edge of the gasket and the contacting wallof the groove which efectually prevents inward movement of the' gasketas the fiange is drawn into close contact with the slab.

When the iange is drawn down into close contact with the slab about thehole therein, as shown in Fig. 8, the gasket will be compressed and thebeveled portion thereof will permit outward expansion along thecorrespondingly inclined wall of the Igroove shank projectin so that itsperiphery will be fiush with or project slightly from the periphery ofthe faucet flange. Any portion of the gasket that projects beyond the'lange may be removed as hereinbefore described;

In both of the forms referred to the gasket provides a tight, close,joint between the flange and slab so that entrance of liquid or solidmatters between them is positively prohibited.

Changes from the disclosure here made which are mere changes inmechanical structure or design may, of course, be made and still bewithin the range of my invention.

I clail'n: v

1. The combination of an port, a fianged fixture havin a threaded shankprojecting through sai aperture, 'a gasket of yielding material betweenthe flange of said ixture and said support, a

apertured supresilient disk-like lock washer on the shank,v

of said fixture on the other side of'said sup'- port having lockingprojections on its surface, and a lock nut threaded to said shank andengaging said washer centrally to force it against said support andcompress said gasket.y n 2. The combination of an apertured support, afianged fixture havin a threaded shank projecting through 'sai aperture,a gasket of yielding material between the flange of said fixture andsaid support,a resilient disk-like lock washer on the shank of saidfixture on the other side of said support having radially disposed upsetlocking projections on its surface, and a lock nut threaded to saidshank and engaging said washer centrally to force it against saidsupport and compress said gasket.

3. The combination of an apertured support, a fianged fixture havin athreaded through -sai aperture, a

gasket of yie ng material between the fiange of said fixture and saidsupport, a disk-like resilient lock washer on the shank of said fixtureon the other side of said support havinglocking projections on its u persurface, and a lock nut threaded to said shank and having a tapering endengaging said washer centrally to force it against said support andcompress said gasket.

4.. The combination of an apertured ysup-y port, a flanged vfixturehaving a threaded shank projecting through said aperture, a gasket ofyielding material between the flange of the fixture and the su port, aresilient lock Washer on the shan of the fixture on the other side ofthe support from the fiange, means for holding .the washer againstrotary movement, and a lock nut threaded to the vshank and engaging thewasher to force it longitudinally of the shank against the support andcompress the gasket.

5. The combination of an apertured support. a fianged fixture having athreaded shank projecting through said aperture, the face of the flangeadjacent the su port having an annular recess formed t erein, theportion of the fiange surrounded by the recess being adapted to contactdirectly with the support, a gasket of yielding material arranged within'said recess in the face of the flan e, a resilient lock washer on theshank o the fixture on the opposite side of the support from the flange,and a lock nut threaded to the shank and engaging the washer to force itlongitudinally of the shank against the support andcompress the asket,the portion of the fiange surrouned by the annular recess preventing thegasket from expanding in :ardirectio toward the fixture shank.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

PHILIP MUELLER.

